Booker T. Washington – Old Dog Words and Code

Posted on September 16, 2019September 16, 2019 by Anne

They Brought the Party

Oh, what a weekend it was!

This past weekend, Jim and I were deep into a road trip to the Midwest, and that’s not what I’m talking about.

The weekend before that, we received a marvelous gift, named Lorenda, Meg, and Aviva. These are three friends of ours from our former neighborhood AND THEY DROVE THE FOUR HOURS FROM NORTHERN VIRGINIA TO COME VISIT!

It is not an easy trip. They did it on a Friday afternoon, which is a doubly difficult maneuver. But they arrived with White Claws, and wine, some AMAZING applesauce cake and a ton of laughter.

The neighborhood we moved from was one of those neighborhoods that circles around the local school system. Thus, everyone’s kids are about the same age, doing similar things, and you all pretty know the main structural information about your neighbors’ lives. Then, of course, those kids go off to college and some people move to Smith Mountain Lake where the new neighbors might not even know where Robinson Secondary School is located.

Lorenda’s husband is a Virginia Tech alum, and now her youngest fella is a student there. She popped in back in April after hiking with her lad, so she knows a little about Franklin County. Meg and Aviva were real newcomers.

And they were wonderful, enthusiastic, energetic guests. We got up relatively early on Saturday (not as early as Aviva, who took in the lakeside sunrise) and drove into Roanoke for the Farmer’s Market and some exploration of the establishments on Market Square.

The Floyd Country Store has fantastic food and Saturday afternoon entertainment

We even got up early on Sunday morning for water sports! Look at that paddle board skill! True KICK ASS ROCK STAR BABES!

They were tolerant of the ride over Windy Gap and a little disappointed that the Booker T. Washington National Monument was closed. Homestead Creamery Ice Cream was enjoyed by all. And we are so looking forward to them coming back!

Posted on September 4, 2019 by Anne · 2 Comments

Put Your Hand(s) Up!

A couple of months ago, I wrote about how the folks out here at Smith Mountain Lake spend a lot of time working out.

Well, you know what else they do? They volunteer like crazy.

You wouldn’t believe the volunteer options that abound here. You can work at the Booker T. Washington National Monument, you can help the community through a number of non-profit organizations, or you can get involved with your church. Almost everyone you talk to has a volunteer gig.

And I’ve even gotten in on it: for the past ten months or so, I have been working as the PR/Media person for the Smith Mountain Lake Charity Home Tour.

The Home Tour is in October each year (it’s been going on for 29 years, y’all!). It’s a big deal, I don’t mind telling you.

These folks work all year to find eight lovely homes situated all around the lake and get their owners to invite hordes of people to come and visit. Of course, those visitors are well organized by plenty of (you guessed it) active volunteers who learn the layout of the homes and make sure that everyone has a great experience.

Here’s the best part: each home is paired with a regional charity, and all of the money made by the Tour, whether through ticket sales or business sponsorships, is divided up between those charities. It’s a big undertaking!

It’s also a huge part of the local community, and I have been so pleased to have been a part of it this year. On top of feeling like you are working for a great cause, it’s given me a way to meet some terrific people, get to know a lot of the businesses around here, and has allowed me to zip around to houses all over the lake so I can take pictures of them for our various communications. It is wonderful to see the creativity of our neighbors.

If this has whet your appetite for peeking at some beautiful homes, I’ll tell you what: take a look at the website for the Tour and if you’re local, go get yourself a ticket! Or you can check out the Tour’s Facebook (@smlcharityhometour) page because I do that, too (hint: I’m going to put something really cool up there tomorrow if I can figure out how to load a video).

I’m not going to suggest that I have any favorite houses on the Tour because they’re all nice. Really, you should go see them.

Posted on October 5, 2018January 10, 2019 by Anne

A Visit with an Icon

Just down the street from us is the childhood home of an important American: Dr. Booker Taliaferro Washington. I stopped in for a visit this week.

Who is Booker T. Washington? Born into slavery in 1856, he spent the first nine years of his life as one of ten people laboring on the tobacco plantation belonging to James Burroughs. Upon obtaining his freedom at the end of the Civil War, Washington used education and tenacious hard work to elevate himself to prominence as an accomplished educator, author, and statesman.

At the Booker T. Washington National Monument, I was greeted warmly by National Park Service volunteer Vickie, who let me know that a brief biographical movie was about to begin. Prior to the movie, she gave a description of the conditions in which Washington lived until, in the summer of 1865, and his subsequent lifelong mission to obtain the benefits of education for himself and for other African Americans.

Walking the grounds of the former plantation and looking over the exhibits in the visitors’ center, you can’t help but appreciate his accomplishments. The exhibits are written compellingly and simply, to stress to young visitors the many ways that the institution of slavery appropriated the humanity of those enslaved.

A depiction of a Union soldier reading the Emancipation Proclamation to the residents of the Burroughs plantation

And the extensive grounds depict the stark living conditions of those working on them, particularly on an unusually warm day in October.

As a bonus, at the back of the property a beautiful trail runs along Gills Creek.

Back at the Visitor’s Center, Park Ranger Brittany Lane made sure to mention the upcoming Harvest Time and other events that the park offers throughout the year.

The Booker T. Washington National Monument does a great job introducing visitors to this impressive neighbor of mine, and would be a fine complement to a visit to this corner of Virginia.